Orlando Pirates winger Karim Kimvuidi has left the club and signed a deal with Israeli side FC Ashdod after impressing in a trial match over the weekend.
The DR Congo winger was a surprise addition to Buccaneers squad with minimal speculation around him, silently arriving at the club, and he’s seemingly departed in the same manner this past week.
On Tuesday a week ago, the 23-year-old is said to have packed his bags and left for Israel, where he’s already made an appearance in the Toto Cup for Ashdod this past weekend after a couple of days of training, while Mali midfielder Abdoulaye Mariko is preparing to move into the apartment Kimvuidi used in Johannesburg, clearly indicating the player is not set to return for this current season – or at all.
iDiski Times sought to find out more about the mysterious appearance in the pre-season competition in Israel before their official league starts, which Kwame Peprah was once also seen playing in for a month, before joining an Indian Super League club shortly after officially parting ways with Pirates.
Sources confirmed the player was on an ‘assessment’ like many others who try their luck at the various professional clubs in Israel before the season begins but he made a real impression and has signed for Ashdod on a permanent deal on Monday, penning a one-year deal with an option after an impressive 90 minute showing against Hapoel Tel Aviv, featuring as an inverted winger and in the 10 role.
After the appearance in the Toto Cup, head coach Haim Silvas said to the media that Kimvuidi ‘impressed him’ and is one for ‘this level of football’, which is not always the case with players who arrive at this stage of the season.
Kimvuidi featured 37 times for the club, with three goals and one assist since his arrival in 2023.
